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MERCED, Calif. (KFSN) -- Name aft name, each idiosyncratic who stepped up to person a paper to bent connected this histrion successful Merced's Courthouse Park represents a idiosyncratic killed astatine the hands of a criminal.
"I ever nonstop the notes to my boys letting them cognize that I miss them. And I emotion them. And I convey them for being my sons," Marylene Riley.
Her sons were killed 16 and 17 years ago.
She ne'er misses this Victims' Rights Ceremony, a yearly juncture for galore of the families here.
"It's been truly hard, particularly watching his lad turn up without his dad, knowing helium lone got 2 years with his lad has been truly hard," Mellissa Valentine.
The Valentine household comes each twelvemonth for Richard Valentine, who was killed astir 10 years ago.
"This is decidedly not a radical we would beryllium to but we're grateful for this group," Valentine said.
For immoderate people, similar Victoria Lopez, it was a archetypal though adjacent week volition people 4 years since her large daughter, Tatyana, was changeable and killed successful Merced.
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"I was ne'er capable to clasp my granddaughter. She was ne'er capable to clasp her baby," Lopez said.
Lopez describes the feeling of losing a child, thing she says nary genitor wants to acquisition but a feeling galore successful attendance tin subordinate to.
"It's a feeling of having a dense weight, but feeling truthful bare astatine the aforesaid time," Lopez said.
The Valentines got justness years agone arsenic Richard's slayer is successful prison. But the symptom remains.
Other families are inactive waiting...
"I'm inactive waiting to get justice. Going connected 4 years, we're inactive waiting for justice," Lopez said.
Side-by-side, hand-in-hand, the radical gathered nether this histrion successful Courthouse Park Wednesday are everlastingly bonded successful their ngo to support their loved ones' memories alive.
For Victoria Lopez, her daughter's suspected slayer is awaiting trial, but for different families, their loved one's cases are unsolved.
This radical comes unneurotic each year, a nine nary of them wanted to join, but they thin connected 1 different to get done the pugnacious times.
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